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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27256483">Pretty Face</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrPearlGatsby/pseuds/DrPearlGatsby'>DrPearlGatsby</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gingerflower, Gingerrose - Freeform, I totally made up the "universal war convention" but it sounds like it would be a thing, Pre-Relationship, Rosehux, Roux - Freeform, fluff?, just a short scene, maybe my new MO is just to write very VERY short things</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:01:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27256483</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrPearlGatsby/pseuds/DrPearlGatsby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Armitage Hux realizes that Rose Tico isn't joking when she calls him pretty.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Rose Tico</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Pretty Face</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why bother?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They’ve <em>nearly</em> been having a civil conversation, Rose and her new reluctant assistant. It’s a step up from the last several weeks, though even those haven’t been as bad as she expected. Still, Rose can’t possibly imagine the former General surviving so long in the First Order without a poker face. Now his expression is full of bitterness, even as he concentrates on the program he’s working on, hunched over the terminal across from her. Rose regards him for a moment longer, searching inside herself for an answer: it’s not a question she hasn’t considered herself. Spy or not, why let the General live? Her voice is quiet, less annoyed than she feels when she answers, “Because it won’t bring them back.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux glances up at her face from the terminal again, his lips pursed. “It’s perfectly legal by the universal war convention… but then you rebels probably don’t take stock in orders set by the Empire.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He’s a perfectly intelligent man—perhaps an equal, she’s come to understand. But—<em>no duh, genius</em>. Rose’s voice is sardonic: “I see you’re more than just a pretty face.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux’s lip lifts in another sneer. He doesn’t bother to look up this time, his fingers furiously moving over the keypad. “And I see <em>you’re</em> not so morally superior so as to avoid petty bullying.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rose is torn between rolling her eyes and laughing out loud. <em>What a kriffing </em>child<em>. </em>“You’re surprised we didn’t kill you but wounded by a bit of sarcasm?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux’s eyes flicker toward hers, but he doesn’t answer right away, intently reading something on his screen, mouthing some of the commands silently to himself. Rose tries not to think too much about how the daylight streaming in the window highlights his cheekbones, catches his red hair. <em>Pretty</em> is… more accurate than she’d care to admit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But it’s such a low blow,” Hux snips. “First Dameron, now you… all this ‘pretty boy,’ ‘pretty face’ nonsense.” His lips purse again in a pout that only reinforces the epithet, and Rose laughs. Hux clenches his jaw.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After letting him stew a few moments longer, Rose keeps her tone light. “If it bothers you so much, you could try grooming yourself less? Or run a hand through your hair before the product sets?” Rose gestures at his head, miming ruffling with her fingers. “You know.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hux looks somewhat horrified by this suggestion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just—like that,” Rose tries again, mussing imaginary hair. When that doesn’t change Hux’s reaction, she just shrugs and goes back to her work. “Or grow facial hair? Though that could backfire and actually suit you. I don’t know how else to make your face <em>less</em> pretty unless you want someone—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>CRASH!</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rose jumps in spite of herself, looking up to see that Hux has completely <em>shattered</em> one of her ceramic mugs. His half-open hand still hovers awkwardly from where he must have—failed to hang onto it?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I—apologize,” he says quickly, pushing his chair back and disappearing under the console to pick up the pieces from the floor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I mean, whatever. They’re cheap. What<em> happened</em>?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“My hand slipped,” Hux calls from under the console.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I was <em>saying</em> we could get someone to punch you in the nose,” Rose continues. “I’m sure there’d be no dearth of takers.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hm,” is all Hux offers, balancing jagged pieces of the mug on his palm as he stands. He turns away from Rose quickly in search of a trash bin, but not quickly enough that she misses the bright flush to his face or the shocked expression.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s just a mug,” she calls after him.</p>
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